by Sue Horner | May 14, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Simple, powerful, vivid words and analogies. They’re critical if you want people to understand you; even more important if you want to inspire action. Notice what’s happening with the COVID-19 pandemic. Health experts are using simple words to encourage understanding...
by Sue Horner | May 7, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Here’s my small wordnerdy nitpick in the interests of accuracy: All those workplaces installing barriers to protect employees and customers during the pandemic are not necessarily using “Plexiglas.” That’s a brand name, like Kleenex. The generic term is “acrylic” or...
by Sue Horner | Apr 22, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
We’re still seeing one particular number everywhere these days – two metres (six feet). That’s how far we have to stay away from others to slow down the spread of COVID-19. But how far is that, really? Everyone citing this number quickly realized people need a better...
by Sue Horner | Apr 16, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
“We’re here for you.” You’ve probably received that message from multiple sources, like your bank or your insurance company. Or maybe they said, “We’ve got your back.” Or, “We’re looking for every possible way to help you save...
by Sue Horner | Apr 9, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Music is keeping a lot of us going during these days of social isolation and physical distancing. Without live music performances possible, I’m grateful to #CanadaPerforms, an online program and relief fund by Canada’s National Arts Centre. Through the NAC and...
by Sue Horner | Apr 2, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Having been in a home office for years, I thought this WFH (work from home) thing would be a piece of cake. Turns out, I’m as likely to be stress-eating cake as much as the next person. Projects I had on the go are on the back burner. I’m spending far too...
by Sue Horner | Mar 29, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
These are “unprecedented times,” to use one of the phrases you’ve no doubt heard dozens (hundreds?) of times over the past few weeks. Tiresome clichés aside, more than ever, this is a time for clear communication. “Communication is at the heart of the employee...
by Sue Horner | Mar 19, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
This isn’t a blog post telling you how your safety is important to me and that I’ve “doubled down” on my (jargon) cleaning efforts, although it is, and I have. These are uncertain times, but I know you’re getting the latest updates on this pandemic from trusted...
by Sue Horner | Mar 11, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Working from home is suddenly on the radar for more people as the world gets a handle on COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more...
by Sue Horner | Mar 4, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Happy National Grammar Day, fellow word nerds! The big day goes back to 2008, and its founding by Martha Brockenbrough and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. SPOGG is “for people appalled by bad grammar in public spaces.” Yup, that’s me. (Note,...
